The Technological Competence of Arbitrators: A Comparative and International Legal Study

by Katia Fach Gómez

Arbitration is facing revolutionary changes due to new technologies’ irruption into the entire arbitration proceeding. Wide-ranging technical-legal concepts such as e-discovery, e-hearing, cyber-security protocol, e-deliberations, algorithmic decision-making and digital signing have become part of life. Technology’s impact on arbitration is unlikely to decrease after the COVID crisis; on the contrary, how the arbitration community positions itself vis-à-vis technology will be a key factor in determining arbitration’s future. Faced with this challenging scenario, the book discusses a novel legal arbitrators’ relationship with this increasingly ubiquitous, rapidly-changing technology. This innovative book applies journalism’s “5 W questions” to the underexplored issue of arbitrators’ digital competence. It reaches a workable definition of what digital competence in the current arbitration context is, also providing answers to the essential question of why arbitrators’ digital competence is relevant from legal and financial points of view. Attention then shifts to who, with reflections on arbitrators working in a highly technological context and clarification of their relationship with other legal and non-legal actors. The book equally offers an in-depth comparative study of the question of where arbitrators’ technological competence is regulated, with critical analysis of soft and hard law provisions that may impose a digital competence duty. Finally, the book specifies when arbitrators need to be digitally competent and develops legal proposals regarding key procedural stages (initial conference, hearings) and legal topics (cybersecurity, data protection).

The first study to scrutinise the rapidly changing relationship between arbitrators and technology, the book aims to spark a crucial debate among practitioners and scholars. Academically rigorous and using the latest legal material, it emphasises arbitrators’ needs, rights and duties in our technological age, presenting them alongside carefully selected practical topics. The unprecedented and well-grounded proposals for arbitrators’ digital competence are intended to be a call to action for its broad target audience.

186 pages, Hardcover

Published November 26, 2023

About the author

Katia Fach Gómez es Profesora Titular de Derecho Internacional Privado de la Universidad de Zaragoza. En el año 2001 se doctoró en Derecho (Doctorado europeo en idioma alemán, Sobresaliente cum laude por unanimidad) y en el año 2010 cursó un Máster jurídico en la Universidad de Fordham (NY-USA), con especialización en arbitraje internacional, ADRs y comercio internacional. En dicho máster obtuvo el premio jurídico Edward J. Hawk y la calificación summa cum laude.

La profesora Fach Gómez es autora de decenas de publicaciones jurídicas en inglés, español y alemán en materia de mediación, arbitraje, comercio internacional, inversiones y derecho internacional privado.

La doctora Fach Gómez ha sido profesora invitada en diversas universidades extranjeras (Estados Unidos, Europa y Latinoamérica) y es conferenciante habitual en congresos internacionales y nacionales en materias como mecanismos alternativos de resolución de conflictos y litigación internacional. La doctora Fach Gómez ha ejercido como experta jurídica en litigios comerciales internacionales, ha sido árbitro único en múltiples arbitrajes internacionales y nacionales, presidenta de paneles de arbitrajes nacionales, secretaria de tribunales arbitrales de inversión y comerciales y posee experiencia práctica en mediación civil y mercantil.

Katia Fach Gómez ha sido designada por el Reino de España como conciliadora para la lista oficial del Centro Internacional de Arreglo de Diferencias Relativas a inversiones (CIADI) (2020-2026), es mediadora acreditada en el Registro oficial de Mediadores del Ministerio de Justicia español y mediadora inscrita en el Registro de Mediadores de Aragón.